B: That big column with a statue on the top of it? It’s a memorial to Admiral Nelson.
A: Oh, I see. It’s very impressive. And what are those birds all over the square?
B: They are pigeons. The pigeons are one of the sights of London.
A: And what’s that long building in front of us?
B: That’s the National Gallery.
A: Let’s go and see it.
B: All right, let’s. The Gallery is open now.
Exercise 5. Complete the following dialogue:
A: Excuse me. I am a stranger in London. Is it possible to see anything of London in a day or two?
B: …
A: What do you think I ought to see first?
B: …
A: How long will it take me to get there?
B: …
A: Thank you very much.
Communicative situations
1. You’ve met your friends. Ask them about the places of interest they have seen in London.
2. Suppose you are a guide and show the most interesting places in London to visitors.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
To comprise – містити, охоплювати
dependency – щось підлегле, залежна країна, колонія
conterminous – що збігається
to bound – межувати
respectively – стосовно кожного зокрема, відповідно
the Arctic Circle – полярне коло
swampy – болотяний, болотистий
edge – край, хребет, гребінь гори
accessible – доступний, досяжний
saucer – блюдце
discontinuous – переривчастий, уривчастий
rugged – нерівний, міцний
steep – крутий, стрімкий
cliff(s) – круча, стрімка скеля
immensely – дуже, надзвичайно, надмірно
to drain – осушувати, дренувати
to carve – різьбити, витісувати, висікати, пробивати шлях
entirely – цілком, зовсім, повністю
depression(s) – пониження місцевості, низина, западина
hollow(s) – западина, лощина
tiny – дуже маленький, крихітний
hay – сіно
cattle – велика рогата худоба
hog – свиня, однолітній бичок
livestock breeding –племінне тваринництво
highlight – основний момент
household – хатній домашній
rayon – штучний шовк, віскоза
synthetic fibre – синтетичне волокно
rubber – гума, каучук
pottery – гончарні вироби
to determine – визначати, встановлювати, вирішувати
liberty – свобода
pursuit – прагнення, пошук
to obtain – одержувати, діставати, досягати
consent – згода, дозвіл
treaty maker – той, хто укладає угоди
the Congress – Конгрес
the Senate – Сенат
the House of Representatives – палата представників
to grant – дозволяти, дарувати
to levy taxes – збирати податки
to declare war – проголошувати війну
interstate commerce – міждержавна торгівля
responsibility – відповідальність, обов’язок
to counterweight – зрівноважувати
to stagger - регулювати
The United States of America is a federal republic comprising 50 states, the District of Columbia, and six territories and dependencies. The older 48 states and the District of Columbia are collectively referred to as the conterminous. They are bounded by Canada in the north, by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, by the Pacific Ocean in the west, and by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico in the south. The other two states, Hawaii and Alaska, are situated respectively in the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean and near the Arctic Circle. The 50 states form an area of 3,615,122 square miles, making the United States the fourth largest country in the world.
The United States is a varied land of forests, deserts, mountains, high flat lands and fertile plains.
The eastern coast of the country is a long, gently rolling lowland area known as the coastal plains. These coastal plains, which stretch from Maine to Texas, are very flat and often swampy. In general the soil is very poor, except in the fertile southern part, where the plain reaches many miles inland (the Cotton Belt and the citrus country of central Florida).
At the western edge of the Atlantic coastal plain, there is a chain of low, almost unbroken mountains, stretching from the northern part of Maine southwest into Alabama, called the Appalachian Mountains. These mountains contain enormous quantities of easily accessible coal and iron. This explains the huge concentration of heavy industry along the lower region of the Great Lakes. The Piedmont hills, to the east of the main peaks, are the most productive agricultural land in the country after the Midwest.
The heart of the United States is a vast plain, broken by the Superior Upland and Black Hills in the north and the Ozark Plateau in the south, which extends from central Canada southwards to Mexico and from the Appalachian Mountains westwards to the Cordillera. These interior plains, which rise gradually like a saucer to higher land on all sides, are divided into two major parts: the wetter, eastern portion is called the Central Plains and the western portion the Great Plains, both of which have good soil.
To the west of the Great Plains is the Cordillera, which accounts for one-third of the United States. It is a region of tremendous variety. On its eastern border the Rocky Mountains, a high discontinuous chain of mountains stretching from mountainous Alaska down to Mexico, rise sharply from the Great Plains. These rugged mountains contain many important metals such as lead, uranium and gold.
The western edge of the Cordillera is characterized by a coastal chain of high mountains, among which there are broad, fertile valleys. The most important ranges are the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades in the eastern part and the Coastal Ranges along the western coast. There is no Pacific coastal plain, and between these two sets of mountains there is a large plateau region, with steep cliffs and canyons, basins and isolated ranges. Many basins are rich in resources, such as oil and natural gas.
The United States has several immensely long
rivers. The centre of the country is watered by the
Mississippi, one of the world’s great continental
rivers, and two its tributaries, the Ohio River and
the Missouri River. There are other important rivers in the USA such as the Yukon in Alaska, the Rio Grande, the Columbia, the Colorado, which flows through the magnificent Grand Canyon, carved through the ages by the river’s waters.
The United States has thousands of lakes of all kinds and sizes. The Great Lakes make up the largest group of lakes in the country, as well as the greatest collection of fresh-water lakes in the world. Only Lake Michigan lies entirely inside the US. Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario form a border between northeastern United States and Canada.
The great ice sheets which once covered northeastern part of the country carved out thousands of depressions, or hollows, which are now tiny lakes. Another region of many lakes lies along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic shore. There are hundreds of small lakes and lagoons deep in dark coastal swamps, or protected behind sandy coastal dunes.
Mount McKinley in Alaska at 20,320 feet (6,194 m) is the highest point in the US, while part of Death Valley in California is 282 feet (89 m) below sea level.
Virtually every type of climate can be found somewhere in the country – from arctic in Alaska to subtropical in Florida. Most of the territory has a humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters.
Almost half of the land area is farmland which has fertile soil, adequate rainfall, and a growing season long enough for the production of major crops like wheat, corn, oats, cotton, hay and tobacco. Beef cattle, hog production, dairy farming and livestock breeding are well developed in the US. Fishing is also very important in the national economy.
The United States is rich in most of the metals and minerals needed to supply its basic industries. Manufacturing is the largest sector in the country’s economy. It includes the manufacture of transportation equipment, highlighted by the automobile industry in Detroit, aircraft and ships. Metal-working industry produces farm, mining and household machinery. Textile industry produces cotton, woolen, rayon and synthetic fibres. Printing and publishing, rubber and leather, pottery and glass, furniture and woodworking are also well developed.
The United States is a democracy. But what do the Americans mean when they use this word?
Abraham Lincoln, one of the best-loved and most respected American presidents said that the United States had a government ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. The Constitution laws and traditions give the people the right to determine who will be the leader of their nation, who will make the laws and what the laws will be. The people have the power to change the system.
The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. It set forth some of the principles of American democracy. The document says that all people are created equal, that all have the right to 'Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness’ and that the government obtain their powers from ‘the consent of the governed’.
Today the US Constitution defines a federal system of government in which certain powers are delegated to the national government; other powers fall to the states. The national government consists of executive, legislative and judicial branches that are designed to check and balance one another.
The executive branch is headed by the President, who must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the country for at least 14 years. The formal responsibilities of the President include those of chief executive, treaty maker, Commander-in-Chief of the army, and the head of the state. The President is elected every four years.
The legislative branch of the government is the Congress, which has two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Powers granted to the Congress under the Constitution include the power to levy taxes, borrow money, regulate interstate commerce, declare war, seat members, discipline its own membership, and determine its rules of procedure.
The House of Representatives is the dynamic institution of the federal government. The chairman of the House of Representatives, the Speaker is elected by the House and has important responsibilities, giving him considerable influence over the President.
The Senate is the conservative counterweight to the more populist House of Representatives. Each state has two senators. They are elected every six years, but the elections are staggered so that one-third of the Senate is elected every two years.
The main duty of the Congress is to make laws.
Among the USA’s biggest cities are New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.
The country’s most important city is its capital – Washington, D.C.
EXERCISES
1. Exercise 1. Answer the questions.
2. What does the USA comprise?
3. What are the states bounded by?
4. Why is the US the fourth largest country in the world?
5. What is the eastern coast of the country like?
6. What is situated at the western edge of the Atlantic coastal plain?
7. What is the heart of the United States?
8. Where is the Cordillera?
9. What is the western edge of the Cordillera characterized by?
10. What are the rivers of the USA?
11. Are there any lakes on the territory of the country?
12. What are the lakes like?
13. What is the climate of the US?
14. What branches of agriculture are well-developed in the USA?
15. What natural resources is the US rich in?
16. What is the largest sector in the country’s economy?
17. What kind of state is the USA?
18. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
19. What system of government does the US Constitution define?
20. What is the role of the President?
21. What is the legislative branch of the US government?
22. What are the Congress powers and duties?
23. How are the senators elected?
24. What is the most important city of the USA?
Exercise 2. Translate from English into Ukrainian.
1. The United States of America is a federal republic comprising 50 states, the District of Columbia, and six territories and dependencies. The 50 states form an area of 3,615,122 square miles, making the United States the fourth largest country in the world.
2. The United States is a varied land of forests, deserts, mountains, high flat lands and fertile plains. The eastern coast of the country is a long, gently rolling lowland area known as the coastal plains.
3. The heart of the United States is a vast plain, broken by the Superior Upland and Black Hills in the north, and the Ozark Plateau in the south, which extends from central Canada southwards to Mexico and from the Appalachian Mountains westwards to the Cordillera.
4. The Cordillera is a region of tremendous variety. On its eastern border the Rocky Mountains, a high discontinuous chain of mountains stretching from mountainous Alaska down to Mexico, rise sharply from the Great Plains. These rugged mountains contain many important metals such as lead, uranium and gold.
5. The country has several immensely long rivers. The centre of it is watered by the Mississippi, one of the world’s great continental rivers, and two its tributaries, the Ohio River and the Missouri River.
6. The Great Lakes make up the largest group of lakes in the country, as well as the greatest collection of fresh-water lakes in the world. Another region of many lakes lies along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic shore. There are hundreds of small lakes and lagoons deep in dark coastal swamps, or protected behind sandy coastal dunes.
7. Virtually every type of climate can be found somewhere in the country – from arctic in Alaska to subtropical in Florida. Most of the territory has humid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters.
8. Beef cattle, hog production, dairy farming and livestock breeding are well developed in the US. Fishing is also very important in the national economy.
9. Manufacturing includes the manufacture of transportation equipment, highlighted by the automobile industry in Detroit, aircraft and ships. Metal-working industry produces farm, mining and household machinery. Textile industry produces cotton, woolen, rayon and synthetic fibres.
10. The Constitution laws and traditions give the people the right to determine who will be the leader of their nation, who will make the laws and what the laws will be. The people have the power to change the system.
11. Today the US Constitution defines a federal system of government in which certain powers are delegated to the national government; other powers fall to the states. The national government consists of executive, legislative and judicial branches that are designed to check and balance one another.
12. The Senate is the conservative counterweight of the more populist House of Representatives. Each state has two senators. They are elected every six years, but the elections are staggered so that one-third of the Senate is elected every two years.
Exercise 3. Translate from Ukrainian into English.
1. Сполучені Штати межують з Канадою на півночі, з Атлантичним океаном на сході, з Тихим океаном на заході та з Мексиканською затокою та Мексикою на півдні. Інші два штати, Гаваї та Аляска, розташовані відповідно у тропічній частині Тихого океану та біля Полярного кола.
2. Аппалачі мають величезні поклади легкодоступного вугілля та заліза. Це пояснює велику концентрацію важкої промисловості вздовж нижнього краю Великих озер.
3. Внутрішні рівнини розділяються на дві основні частини: більш волога східна частина називається Центральними рівнинами, західна частина – Великими рівнинами. Вони обидві мають гарну землю.
4. Західний край Кордильєр характеризується прибережним пасмом високих гір, серед яких розташовані широкі, родючі долини. Найбільш важливі гірські пасма – це Сьєрра- Невада та Каскадні гори в східній частині та прибережні пасма вздовж західного узбережжя.
5. Великі льодяні пласти, які колись вкривали північно-східну частину країни, висікли тисячі западин, або лощин, що тепер є крихітними озерами.
6. Майже половина посівних площ – це фермерська земля, що має родючий грунт, достатню кількість дощів і досить довгий сезон для вирощування основних видів врожаю, таких як пшениця, кукурудза, овес, бавовник, сіно та тютюн.
7. Сполучені Штати – це демократія. Але що американці мають на увазі, коли вживають це слово? Один з найулюбленіших президентів Америки А. Лінкольн сказав, що США мають уряд «людей, створений людьми та для людей».
8. Декларація Незалежності каже, що всі люди створені рівними, всі мають право на «життя, свободу та пошук щастя», та що уряд отримує свої повноваження з дозволу тих, ким керують.
9. Палата представників - є динамічним інститутом федерального уряду. Голова палати представників, спікер, обирається палатою та має важливі обов’язки, що дають йому значний вплив на президента.
Exercise 4. Read and dramatize the following dialogues:
A: Hello, my name is Pierre Lafontaine. I’m from Montreal.
B: Hi, I’m Heather Hillman.
A: Where do you come from?
B: I come from Montgomery.
A: Montgomery. Where is that?
B: It’s in Alabama. Haven’t you heard of Alabama?
A: Oh, yes, of course, Alabama. It’s in the South. I’ve never been to the South.
* * *
A: I’m going to visit the United States. Could you tell me what language is spoken there?
B: American, of course.
A: I speak English a little. Will they understand me?
B: Yes, they will. There are differences in pronunciation, but in fact, it’s the same language.
A: Thank you.
* * *
A: This is a map of the United States of America. Have you ever been to
the US?
B: No, I haven’t. But I’d like to. My American friend invited me to see him.
A: You are lucky. What would you like to see there?
B: First of all, I will go to the Appalachian Mountains.
A: You’d better go to the Colorado River, which flows through the magnificent Grand Canyon, carved through the ages by the river’s waters.
B: Thank you for your valuable advice. I will go there.
Exercise5. Make up your own dialogues using the following expressions:
To comprise, to bound, varied land, coastal plains, the Great Lakes, the Appalachian Mountains, the Cordillera, immensely long rivers, types of climate.
WASHINGTON D.C.
Neoclassical – неокласичний
gentle – пологий, легкий, слабкий
vessel – судно, корабель
scenic – мальовничий
spectacular – ефектний, захоплюючий
verdant – зелений
to betray – виявляти, виказувати,не справджувати
sensible – розумний, розсудливий
fledgling – пташеня, недосвідчений юнак
lush – соковитий, буйний
approach – наближення, підхід
skyscraper – хмарочос
foliage – листя
to radiate – розходитися з центра подібно до радіусів, випромінювати
imposing – показний, вражаючий
literally – буквально
to spring (sprang, sprung) – брати початок, з’являтися
to emanate – виходити, випромінювати
focal point – центральна точка
shrink(shrank, shrunk) – скорочуватися, давати усадку, зменшуватися
namesake – тезко
to whitewash – білити
to attribute – приписувати, відносити
to apply – застосовувати, вживати
a prayer – молитва, прохання, благання
a roof – дах
to intermingle – змішувати(ся), спілкуватися
to dignify – удостоювати, віддавати почесті, ставитися з повагою
to occur – траплятися, відбуватися
to personalize – уособлювати, втілювати, брати на свій рахунок
frugal – ощадливий, економний, скромний
encampment – табір, місце табору
a backdrop – задник (театр.)
a wing – крило
lie (laу, lain) – бути розташованим, простягатися
prior – колишній, попередні, важливіший
burial – похорон
awe – благоговіння, страх, трепет
inspiring – надихаючий
stunning – вражаючий, прекрасний, чудовий
ceiling – стеля
tract – ділянка, простір
headquarters – головне управління, центр
scattered – розкиданий. окремий, розрізнений
stipulation – умова, застереження, угода
to obstruct – перешкоджати, загороджувати, заслоняти
a tomb – могила, надгробний пам’ятник
to cherish – пестити, любовно виховувати, вирощувати
to honour – шанувати, поважати
to bury – ховати (мертвих)
cemetery – кладовище
doubt – сумнів
attic – горище
countless - незліченний
With its neoclassical buildings and its tree-lined avenues, Washington D.C. strikes the visitor as a lovely and formal city. But it wasn’t always this way. From the gentle waters of the Potomac River, aboard the wooden vessels of the revolution, the view was scenic perhaps, but not spectacular. In the late 18th century, the verdant river banks and marshland betrayed nothing of the future for the area just south of the tobacco port of George Town. But by 1791 President George Washington had decided the area was the sensible place to build a permanent capital city for the fledgling United States of America. Sensible, because it represented a geographic compromise between politicians from the North and the South. Sensible also because it was naturally protected from the Atlantic Ocean. And, especially sensible for President Washington because it was conveniently located near his Mount Vernon estate.
Washington dreamed of a city with shining white marble buildings connected by broad boulevards and lush green parks. If only he could have taken in the view two centuries later, from the window of a commercial airliner.
On final approach to National Airport, banking right and setting in over the Potomac River, a skyline like no other suddenly comes into view. It is a low-slung panorama whose most striking features are not the cold steel-gray skyscrapers of elsewhere. Rather, one notices the white marble and green foliage of George Washington dreams, radiating the freshness and beauty of parks in harmony with imposing monuments and powerful government buildings.
A French military engineer, Pierre L’Enfant, designed a new capital in 1791. Drawing upon his experience with the gardens of Versailles in his homeland, L’Enfant drew up a plan for a city that literally springs from the centre in all directions, with its broad avenues emanating from focal points in circles and small parks.
Originally a ten-by-ten square, carved from the states of Maryland and Virginia, the District of Columbia actually shrunk in size when all land of the west side of the Potomac River was returned to Virginia in 1846. However, as the United States grew from 13 to 50 states, Washington D.C. grew as well, expanding government operations into Virginia and Maryland as suburbs sprang up around the city.
Today, the functional and aesthetic beauty of Washington D.C. remains true to the dreams of its namesake and the designs of its architect.
The oldest public building in Washington D.C. is also the most famous residence in America. The cornerstone of the ‘President’s House’ – as it was originally named – was set in place in 1792. President George Washington ordered a stone facing for the exterior walls, which were whitewashed because the Virginian sandstone used was too soft to face the elements on its own. It is unclear, however, if this was the origin of the President’s House being renamed ‘The White House’, or whether the name can be attributed to a brilliantly white coat of paint that was applied several years later. It is clear, though, that George Washington never lived in The White House, because it was under construction together with the Capitol.
The White House has been the home of all American presidents since November 1800 when George Washington’s successor, John Adams, moved in with a prayer, ‘May none but honest and wise Men ever rule under this roof’. For the next century the affairs of state and domestic life were intermingled under that roof until President Theodore Roosevelt observed the need for ‘dignified office space’ in The White House. He decided to build the West Wing in 1902. Thus the first reconstruction was started. A major reconstruction of the building occurred during the tenure of President Harry Truman. Minor facelifts, redecorating and landscaping occur often as successive presidents personalize The White House to their needs and tastes.
In addition to serving as an office for the president and a home for the first family, The White House serves as one of the nation’s premier tourist attractions. The half-hour public tour brings up 6,000 ‘houseguests’ a day through the doors of the East entrance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, America’s most prestigious address.
When Thomas Jefferson looked out across Pennsylvania Avenue from the front entrance of The White House, he decided that the front yard was too big. The frugal President ordered that the area directly across the street be turned into a public park. Lafayette Square soon became a strategic location for activities as varied as food distribution, army encampments and political demonstrations.
Today, Lafayette Square is enjoyed by roller bladers, tourists, chess players, and the homeless who share space with a variety of protesters camped along the south side. A beautiful garden with a perfect view of The White House for a backdrop also makes Lafayette Square a prime photo stop for tourists.
The United States Capitol stands proudly atop a hill at the east end of the Mall, an American icon, a symbol of democracy and the most prominent landmark in Washington D.C. The Legislative Branch of the U. S. Government is centered here in wings dedicated to the Senate and the House of Representatives. The dominant feature of the Capitol is its dome. Crowned by the statue ‘Freedom’, a spectacular roof for the Great Rotunda rises from the middle of the Capitol. The Rotunda serves as the Capitol’s chief ceremonial room, best known as a place where presidents have lain the state prior to burial.
A growing nation made the Capitol, like The White House, subject to numerous and minor renovations and reconfigurations over the years. Nowadays, the Capitol is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, an awe inspiring symbol of American government.
Located just behind the Capitol, the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress is a stunning example of Victorian Rococo design. The Great Hall of the Library of Congress is adorned with mosaics, paintings, and a carving marble stairway. The Main Reading Room of it is the favourite room of many Washingtonians and on the top ten list of tourist destinations. Anyone over the age of 18 can enter the Library of Congress’ Main Reading Room as a researcher, but they will have to seriously concentrate to get any research done under the beautifully adorned 160-feet-high domed ceiling. The Library contains some 90 million items, of which slightly less than one-third are books and pamphlets, written in 470 languages. Maps and atlases alone account for more than four million items.
A suitable tract of land could not be found inside the District of Columbia, and so the Pentagon, one of the largest office buildings in the world, was constructed just across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia.
The idea to build one central and self-contained military headquarters took on great urgency as World War II spread throughout Europe and the U.S. government found its War Department and military leadership scattered in 17 locations across Washington. Construction of the Pentagon began in 1941 with the stipulation that the five-sided building be no higher than five stories, to ensure that the view from Arlington Cemetery remains unobstructed.
Half a century later, the Pentagon still functions as the coordinating headquarters for all branches of the military under the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest ranking military officer under the Secretary of Defense.
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